Norristown demonstrators call for immigration reform

NORRISTOWN — Supporters of comprehensive immigration reform gathered at Los Potrillos Taqueria on the 300 block of Elm Street Wednesday to demonstrate for a better way of life for immigrants in the United States.

According to Julie Blust, the communications specialist at 32BJ SEIU, a union representing immigrant workers, the demonstration was part of a series of activities to remind the government about immigration reform during the U.S. Congress’ summer recess.

“Right now it looks like the Senate passed bill is being taken apart and different parts will be voted on during different times,” Blust said.

Unless the bill that passed the Senate before the summer recess is voted on as a whole it will eventually dissipate, and no meaningful reform will come from it, she said.

The demonstration opened with speakers describing their experiences with INS and explaining why they came to the United States.

A Norristown woman named Maria, who asked to not have her last name published, said she came to the United States in October 2001 after being laid off at a job in Mexico she had worked at for 30 years. She told the crowd she came to the United States to work and was able to bring her brothers with her to work.

In 2009, her brothers, while on a trip to the Poconos, were pulled over by police and ultimately deported back to Mexico because of issues with their work visa, she said.

“If a more comprehensive bill passes, I will be able to bring one of my brothers back,” Maria said through a translator.

According to an analysis by the American Action Network of a pair of studies, immigration reform would bring 13,033 jobs to Pennsylvania’s 6th U.S. Congressional District and 12,416 jobs to the 7th District. The report states 93,159 jobs would be created in Pennsylvania if reform passes.

Hiro Nishikawa of Haverford, A supporter of 32BJ SEIU, said some system of registering undocumented workers and providing them a path to citizenship would be the best thing for the government to do.

“Allow people to work and pay taxes rather than taking them away from their families,” Nishikawa said.

While acknowledging that some are breaking the law, he said many of the people immigrating to the United States are not aware of the laws they are breaking.

His grandparents came to the United States from Japan in the late 1800s, and he fights for immigration rights in their honor, Nishikawa said.

After the demonstration, the group split into two smaller groups. One went to office of Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-6th Dist.) in Trappe, and the another went to the office of Rep. Pat Meehan (R-7th Dist.) in Whitpain. Neither group made contact with Meehan or Gerlach, but told their stories to staffers at each office.

“The Senate’s 1,200 page bill is a fundamentally flawed approach to fixing our broken immigration system,” Meehan said in an email. “Rather than passing complex, thousand page bills, the House will take a look at immigration in a transparent and thoughtful way. I’ll continue working towards a fix to our broken system that secures our borders once and for all and creates a working legal immigration system that doesn’t encourage lawbreaking.”

Blust said she still has hope for the bill and continues to help undocumented workers fight for citizenship.

“There have been a number of GOP members who expressed support and are willing to do something,” she said. “We’re hopeful that it will happen. I know that local members of congress are hearing the voices of people who are concerned for the bill.”